In a room heated by the previous hearing between PSG and lawyer Kheira Hamraoui, the president of the industrial court, Marie-Anne Kovrig, was surprised by the number of lawyers facing her this Monday, November 17: there were ten. He assured that “The application will take one hour per party, a maximum of one and a quarter hours.” The room is too small to accommodate the exchange of arms between PSG and Mbappé, which would involve a huge amount of money. While the Blues captain asked for 263 million euros from his former club, PSG is now asking for up to 440 million euros. Faced with general disbelief at the dizzying numbers, Me Renaud Semerdjian, one of PSG’s seven advisers, confirmed to AFP as he left the hearing: “What we are asking for is 440 million,” while the figure of 240 million was announced slightly earlier.
The trial, which pitted football stars against the now European champions, received huge publicity. The context is explosive between the two parties, after the painful divorce in the summer of 2024, in which the player left for Real Madrid without PSG receiving transfer compensation. Meanwhile, Mbappé has filed a complaint for moral harassment – although the complaint has since been withdrawn, a judicial investigation was opened after accusing the Paris management of not paying his latest salary and bonuses.
A stormy relationship developed between the two sides in the summer of 2023, when PSG understood that the player would see out his contract – due in 2024 – without an extension, thereby depriving the club of transfer compensation. Mbappé could be reinstated, to play his final season, following behind-the-scenes discussions leading to the deal, which is now still being debated and the subject of financial claims. The player’s camp will agree to waive bonuses ranging from 55 to 79 million euros. His lawyer said there was never an agreement. The amendment formalizes it “never signed”, acknowledged PSG for its part. Regarding this, Mbappé stated to the press in January 2024: “With the agreement I made with the president this summer, whatever my decision, we succeeded in protecting all parties.”
The French team captain then demanded payment of this amount of money, along with compensation for losses totaling 263 million euros. His attorneys requested reclassification of his CDD, which was signed at the time, to CDI. Against PSG “believe that everything can be bought”, Specifically, they estimate dismissals without cause at 44.6 million euros, moral harassment at 37.5 million euros, and back pay and leave for April to June 2024 at 19 million euros.
In return, PSG added “twenty million for image damage, 60 million for bad faith in the implementation of the agreement dated August 2023, 180 million for concealment of this agreement and 180 million for loss of player transfer opportunities”I think Renaud Semerdjian. The capital club is confident they are up to it “There are those who are unfaithful, who knows, starting July 2022 they won’t want to extend it,” according to I’m Patricia Moyersoen. He returned to a letter sent in 2023, dated 2022, in which he wrote that he stopped activating the optional 3rd year. “The stakes are huge” for PSG who confirmed that they would try to sell Mbappé from 2022 – mentioned an offer from the English club Liverpool – if they had such information.
Me Delphine Verheyden, Kylian Mbappé’s lawyer from the start, wanted to remind the industrial court that they “work” is “to preserve employees, weak parties, and not vice versa”. This was responded to by the club’s defense “professional sports work on fixed term contracts”in accordance with FIFA rules.
On the aspect of moral harassment In this case, Me Verheyden mentions several events “terrifying” for the player: missing the tour of Japan in 2023, a 300 million euro offer from a club in Saudi Arabia that he never saw on his desk. Then a warning letter from PSG management accused Mbappé of doing this “very debilitating sporting and financial situation” club, at the risk of causing a “wave of layoffs” if not extended. “All the elements of moral harassment are there”, concludes Me Frédérique Cassereau.
PSG completely denied the allegations, and attempted to play down the issue “attic”, a group of players awaiting departure and closing in on where Mbappé is positioned in the 2023 offseason, alongside Julian Draxler and Leandro Paredes. Reproachful “two-faced” Kylian Mbappé, the club’s lawyer raises a player “everyone smiles” in photos at that time, a “tifo” according to his appearance and a private evening organized in his honor, in which people will participate “management members and staff members.”
A decision will be taken on December 16.
Updated November 18 at 9:52 a.m. with our journalist’s story.
